This invention relates to an outrigger for use in a wheel-type earth moving or excavating vehicle.
A typical wheel-type earth moving vehicle equipped with a bucket operating mechanism is usually provided with an outrigger for the purpose of achieving prevention of the swing of the vehicle body due to the flexure of the tires, prevention of the vehicle body's slip and prevention of bursts of the tires due to the frictional forces excerted on them etc. when the vehicle is parked with its brakes applied and earth excavation, scooping and loading are carried out by using the bucket implement.
The above-mentioned outriggers for the vehicles of the kind specified above are usually located on the rear part of the vehicle or near the tires with the legs of the outriggers projected outwardly from the sides of the vehicle.
In the former case, if the outriggers were mounted on the front part of the vehicle, there might occur interference of the outrigger with the bucket implement and also the operational range of the bucket implement would be reduced, and therefore outriggers are mounted on the rear part of the vehicle. However, such an arrangement makes it impossible for the earth moving vehicles to be equipped with an earth moving blade means.
Whilst, in the latter case, because the legs of the outriggers are projected outwardly from the sides of the vehicle, when it is desired to drive the vehicle after releasing its brakes, it cannot be driven unless the legs of the outriggers are retracted and accommodated within the vehicle by moving them sideways. It would therefore be impossible to quickly move the vehicle, should an emergency arise, while the outriggers are in a ground engaging position.